Arts Council awards Oldham Council £1.8 million funding

Following a successful proposal from the local authority, Arts Council England announced it has agreed to allocate £1.845 million to support creative and cultural activity in the borough over the next three years.

In March, the Arts Council announced it had ringfenced £1.845 million to invest in Oldham, although this was subject to application.

The amount had been applied for by the Oldham Coliseum theatre, but the Arts Council rejected its application.

The Arts Council blamed financial and governance issues with Oldham Coliseum Ltd for the funding snub, but refused to go into further detail – saying this could discourage organisations from applying for funding in the future.

Now, Oldham Council’s application for the funding has been successful, with the full amount set to be given over the next three years in order to commission and deliver a cultural programme.

The Arts Council says this will offer the community and visitors a wide range of arts and theatre to enjoy, including a mix of commissioned work, festivals and participatory events, as well as shows from visiting companies.

Oldham Theatre Workshop and Oldham Coliseum Theatre will benefit from the funding too, which the Arts Council says will allow the organisations to test new approaches to programming, creative learning and talent and audience development ahead of the new performance space which is due to open by 2026.

The announcement comes shortly after the news that Oldham Coliseum’s former boss had landed a new job at an Edinburgh theatre.

Plans for the new performance space have been released (Image: Oldham Council)

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Jen Cleary, director north, Arts Council England said: “The Arts Council is absolutely committed to supporting creativity and culture in Oldham and this investment will enable Oldham Council, working in partnership with local cultural organisations, to provide an exciting programme of activity across the borough over the next three years.

“From new theatre performances and festivals to community and school workshops, this programme will provide local creative employment and development opportunities, as well as a raft of creative activity for the community to enjoy.”

Cllr Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council, said: “Culture is so important to any town but especially in Oldham with its fantastic heritage of theatre and production.

Cllr Arooj Shah

“This funding from the Arts Council will help us to retain great cultural activities in the borough while the work to build our new theatre is underway.

“We’ve worked closely with local cultural organisations in building our application for this funding and both Oldham Coliseum and Oldham Theatre Workshop will be helping us to deliver a fantastic arts, culture and performance programme for Oldham.”

Oldham Council will cultivate local talent by commissioning work from Oldham-based theatre makers and by assisting artists to expand their practice, the Arts Council said.

Cultural activities for community groups, such as the work already taking place with the Roma community, are also set to benefit.

In February, the Roma community lamented the loss of Oldham Coliseum – calling it a ‘bridge to the outside world’.

Under the plans, Oldham Theatre Workshop will run a creative learning programme which will encourage young people to get involved in culture, providing them with the chance to experience high-quality theatre.

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Duncan Craig OBE, chair of trustees at Oldham Coliseum, said: “The announcement from Arts Council England of a £1.8m award for Oldham Council to deliver culture across Oldham over the next three years is positive news.

“It will give the Council the ability to turn our collective plans into a reality, to deliver a strong arts and culture programme in the town - we look forward to helping them deliver it.”

James Atherton, artistic director, Oldham Theatre Workshop said: “Oldham Theatre Workshop is delighted with the news of this continued funding for the town. The investment will help us to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to participate in high quality theatre practices.

“It’s an important time for culture in Oldham. We are looking forward to working closely with the Coliseum and other cultural partners across the borough to deliver a rich and diverse programme that engages the creativity of all.”

The Arts Council says it will continue to work closely with Oldham Council and partners as it delivers the 2021-30 cultural strategy for the borough and develops the new theatre.